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Office Design for Optimum Productivity

In this post we take a look at office design and how it can influence productivity. We look at a few core principles in interior design including colour, ergonomics, clutter and light.

It’s all about the Colour

Some studies have shown that the colour of an office can have a direct impact on employees. To understand the science of colour, here are a few hues to consider, and the effect that they’ll have.

Blue:

Blue is a very stabilising colour, and encourages a calm environment, full of productivity and focus.

Green:

Green is great for people who work long hours, keeping them on-task and invigorated.

Yellow:

Yellow boosts creativity and optimism in the office. If you want a cheery and productive environment, this is a great option.

Red:

For physical jobs, the colour red has been shown to increase the heart rate, as well as emotions like passion.

Depending on what you need for your office, just changing the colour of your walls could lead to fantastic results. If you don’t want the hassle of deciding the décor for yourself, you can enlist the services of an office planner, such as Opus 4, or you can specifically hire a designer for your rebrand.

Ergonomics

It doesn’t get simpler than this: if your wrists or your shoulders are in pain, due to poor ergonomics, you’re not going to be a very productive employee – you might even have to take time off work to rest your injuries. Ergonomics are so important. All offices should be set out with them in mind. That means investing in equipment that will stop employees from feeling as if a demon has been stomping on their spine all day. Make your workers as comfortable as possible.

Get Rid Of Clutter

Clutter is distracting. There is a reason why many people choose to tidy up before they do anything practical. A clean office makes space for new ideas and fresh minds. Clutter everywhere can get oppressive and bring people down.

Bring Nature Indoors

Some offices don’t really come with window views, or if they do, they’re not always pleasantly green. Bring nature into the office by investing in plants that are hard to kill, such as succulents. Plants help to filter toxins out of the air and keep employees productive.

Let In Light

Nobody wants to live in a dungeon. Letting in lots of light helps to create a spacious feeling, and it’s often uplifting for employees to have a lot of natural rays coming through the windows. It will boost energy and creativity throughout the office. Darkness is often depressing and slows people down.

Get Rid Of Open Plan

Although an open plan office seems to be preferred these days (as people believe that the pressure of being looked at all day will make employees work harder) but really it’s just heavily distracting. With people talking and moving around members of staff all day, you need the concentration of a saint to keep your mind on your work. Give people the peace that they need to crack on.

Movement

Some employees will just sit at their desk all day. This lack of movement is bad for their bodies, but also bad for their productivity. Everyone needs to move around and take short breaks. Encourage movement throughout working hours, even if that’s a klaxon that goes off every two hours, signalling that employees should do some stretches or jump around!

About Small Business Can

The idea for Small Business Can comes from an Ulster Bank initiative when we went and talked to hundreds of businesspeople and asked them about the types of business supports they most valued. The majority said that they valued the insights of other businesspeople the most. We came up with smallbusinesscan.com, a site run by businesspeople for businesspeople. Read more...